Les Coquillettes au Jambon
(lay ko-kee-yet oh zham-bon)
La Cantine à la Maison: The Midday Anchor
Ask any French adult what dish instantly returns them to the safety of childhood, and they won't say cassoulet. They will point you to this: coquillettes au jambon. It is the undisputed champion of the chaotic weeknight—an unstuffy, profoundly comforting bowl of small pasta, good ham, and melted mountain cheese. Forget the heavy, flour-thickened roux of American macaroni; the French grandmother relies on a brilliant, sixty-second off-heat emulsion of starchy water, butter, and cream that obeys the laws of chemistry and respects your time.
Ingredients
- small elbow macaroni1 lb
- chicken bouillon cube1 small
- unsmoked thick-cut deli ham8 oz
- Comté or Gruyère cheese6 oz
- heavy cream3 tbsp
- unsalted butter2 tbsp
- nutmeg1 pinch
- black pepper1 pinch
Method
- 01
Boil the pasta in a savory bouillon bath.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, drop in the bouillon cube, and stir until it dissolves. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, usually 7 to 8 minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb the savory depth of the broth.
- 02
Reserve the liquid gold.
Just before the pasta finishes cooking, dip a heat-proof measuring cup into the pot and scoop out about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta well, but do not rinse it.
- 03
Coat the noodles off the heat.
Return the empty pot to the stove, but keep the burner turned completely off. Dump the hot pasta back into the pot, immediately add the butter, heavy cream, and diced ham, and toss vigorously for 30 seconds until the butter melts.
- 04
Fold in the cheese and emulsify.
Scatter the grated cheese over the pasta, adding the black pepper, nutmeg, and about 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. Stir continuously and gently; the ambient heat will melt the cheese slowly while the starchy water and cream emulsify it into a glossy, perfectly smooth sauce.
- 05
Serve immediately.
Spoon the coquillettes into warm, shallow bowls. It must be eaten right away while hot and creamy, preferably with a large spoon to catch every drop.
Notes
Why off the heat?
Keep simple things simple, but obey the chemistry. Adding cheese to a pot on a live flame causes the proteins to seize and the fats to separate, resulting in a greasy, clumpy sauce. Tossing the ingredients off the heat gently melts the cheese into the hot cream and starchy water for a flawless, restaurant-quality emulsion in seconds.
The Leftover Savior.
If you have leftovers, place them in a small baking dish, splash with a little more cream, top with extra Gruyère and a sprinkle of plain breadcrumbs, and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
From Cook French in America.